Everything you need to get ready for holiday guests
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<em><img alt=""
src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/shine/work/bathrobe_2ec11c98-b0ca-4396-acf5-fdcaee67d28f_mini.jpg"
align="left" width="240" height="156">Our resident interior
designer Mark Cutler’s guide to a memorable
stay</em><br><br> Now that Thanksgiving is behind
us, we are totally in the throes of the holiday season. And that
means for many of us, holiday visitors from out of town. So I
thought I would put together a tip sheet for helping you locate
some items to help you create a perfect retreat for your guests. If
you were planning on being a guest, any of these would make great
hostess gifts too. (What better gift is there then the one that you
benefit
from?)<br><strong>Bathrobe</strong><p> This
is a basic element of creating that “hotel” experience
for your guests. I like the Frette robes. They are basic, not
outrageously expensive and they have name recognition cache, so
your in-laws will feel pampered. This one (above) is made from
Egyptian cotton, so it is extra absorbent and has a great pile. It
is edged in Percale cotton, which is a nice
detail.</p><p>Metropolitan Bathrobe; <a
rel="nofollow"
href="http://www.frette.com/en/shoponline/productdetail.aspx?folderId=d22fb854-2684-4e1e-8cee-6354ef08ffff&id=131fa981-1880-4452-97d8-342b69ae8f51&lastPageIndex=1"
target="_blank">Frette.com</a><span
style="font-weight:bold;"><br></span></p><p><span
style="font-weight:bold;"></span><strong><img
alt="" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/shine/work/kate-main.jpg"
align="left" width="292" height="299">Water
Carafe</strong>
</p><strong></strong><p>No one wants to
wake up thirsty in an unfamiliar place and you probably
don't want guests to go traipsing through the house in
search of the kitchen anyway. A glass water pitcher next to the bed
solves this dilemma, and this cut crystal one from will do it with
style. The important thing to look for is a cap that fits over the
carafe to keep the water tasting fresher and the presentation
neat.</p><p>Kate Decanter; <a rel="nofollow"
href="http://www.williamyeowardcrystal.com/products-detail.asp?ProductID=854&RangeID=3"
target="_blank">WilliamYeowardCrystal.com</a><br>
</p><br>
<strong><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><img
alt="" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/shine/work/1107_candle.jpg"
align="left" width="312" height="256">Scented Candle
</strong><p>I really like my bedrooms to have a great
scent, so I will usually include a scented candle on the bedside
table. I have my own line of candles (www.markcutlerdesign.com) but
for my guest room I decided to add one from this great little
company in West Hollywood, called Timothy Jay Candles. Tim does
some great scents that I have loved for years (you really should
try Hedges) but for a guest room I like to go with something a
little more romantic, like “1107 .” It is one of the
prettiest floral scents I have ever experienced. The packaging is
simple, which I think heightens the experience of
discovery.</p><p>"1107"; <a
rel="nofollow"
href="http://www.timothyjaycandles.com/candles_collection.html"
target="_blank">TimothyJayCandles.com
<br></a></p> <strong><img alt=""
src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/shine/work/helena_bed_linens.jpg"
align="left" width="250"
height="241">Bedding</strong><p>This may be the
single most memorable thing about your guests' stay-so
really make it count. While pure linen bedding may be too much
maintenance for you for every day, it can be special treat for the
guest room. It will create a beautiful sleeping space that you too
could use as a mini vacation without leaving home. I like Belgian
Huis for linen bedding. The price point is good and the design
elegant and simple. To really get maximum impact out of these
sheets-they should be pressed, and you
might want to add some lavender ironing
spray to keep them smelling
fresh.<strong><br></strong></p><p>White
Helena Bed Linens; <a rel="nofollow"
href="http://www.belgianhuis.com/IBS/SimpleCat/product/ASP/hierarchy/0001/product-id/414578.html"
target="_blank">BelgianHuis.com</a> </p>To see the
rest of Mark's picks, visit <a rel="nofollow"
target="_blank"
href="http://www.pointclickhome.com/decorating_design/articles/guest_room_essentials?cid=yhoo">PointClickHome.com</a><br><br><strong>MORE
LIKE THIS:</strong><br><br><a rel="nofollow"
target="_blank"
href="http://www.pointclickhome.com/holiday?cid=yhoo">The Guide
to Holiday Style</a><br><a rel="nofollow"
target="_blank"
href="http://www.pointclickhome.com/decorating_design/articles/presents_picky?cid=yhoo">Presents
for the Picky</a><br><a rel="nofollow"
target="_blank"
href="http://www.pointclickhome.com/decorating_design/articles/kitsch_less_christmas?cid=yhoo">Kitsch-less
Christmas</a><br> <p> </p>